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Qwaqwa Campus honours academic excellence

20 April 2021 | Story Thabo Kessah | Photo Sonia Small (Kaleidoscope Studios)

More than 1 500 degrees, diplomas, and certificates were conferred upon deserving academic achievers when the Qwaqwa Campus hosted its virtual graduation ceremony on Wednesday 21 April 2021. The ceremony also saw the first batch of 23 Community Development graduates.

Among the degrees conferred were seven PhDs – one in Education, two in the Humanities, and four in Natural and Agricultural Sciences.

There was also one Dean’s Medal in the Faculty of the Humanities.

Six members of the 2019/2020 Student Representative Council (SRC) were among the graduates. They were Lehlohonolo Mokhabi (President), Thembinkosi Phenyane (Deputy President), Scelo Twala (Religious Affairs), Siyabonga Mbambo (Academics), Thabo Motaung (Residence Affairs), and with distinction, Mamokete Mokhatla (International Students).

Acclaimed business leader, founder, and chairperson of private investment firms, Izingwe Capital and Izingwe Holdings, Dr Sipho Pityana, received an honorary doctorate in Philosophy during the ceremony.

Justice Zak Yacoob, former Justice of the Constitutional Court of South Africa, was the guest speaker at the event.

The ceremony is available here

→ Visit the April 2021 Virtual Graduation page here

News Archive

Academic produces another book

2009-12-01

Academic, author and motivational speaker, Dr Michael van Wyk (pictured), has written another book titled Cooperative learning as a teaching strategy for the classroom: A practical guide for economics teachers.

His latest offering provides a sound theoretical framework and practical ways on how to implement the different cooperative learning techniques. It unpacks the practical aspects of the outcomes-based approach, the National Curriculum Statement for the Further Education and Training phase and cooperative learning techniques for the economics classroom.

This easy-to-read book offers a thorough introductory text for economics teachers and economics students, as well as lecturers and researchers.

“This theoretical and practical guide will support Economics teachers to present their subject in practical ways that are meaningful and learner centred,” he said.

“If this can be achieved, learners will engage effectively in the subject and an interest in the learning content may be evoked.”

The book covers the following aspects:

It introduces the foundations of the outcomes-based education approach (OBE) and the new curriculum model for South African schools.
It examines the theoretical underpinnings and practical application of cooperative learning as a teaching strategy.
It provides practical guidelines for application of cooperative learning techniques.

“This book gives an outline, in a constructive way, on how to apply the cooperative learning techniques such as Teams Games Tournaments (TGT), Student Teams Achievement Divisions (STAD), role-play, simulations, Economics quizzes, small group teaching and research projects in the classroom,” he said.

“These techniques have the potential to make a positive contribution to the enhancement of academic performances, development of social skills and an improvement of the learning skills of the learners.”

The book is designed as a theoretical and practical guide for Economics Education students, Economics teachers, Learning Area Economics and Management Science facilitators, Curriculum developers, Economics subject advisors, researchers and trainers; for the successful implementation of cooperative learning as a teaching strategy.

Dr Van Wyk is a staff member of the Department of Curriculum Studies in the Faculty of Education at the University of the Free State (UFS). He also serves on the board of the South African Foundation on Economics and Financial Education (SAFEFE).

Photo: Mangaliso Radebe

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